Tyler Perry: Feeling The Love

I don't suppose I'll ever understand how it is some comedy crosses all lines while other comedy doesn't travel well at all.

While I am a foreign film aficionado, I never rent foreign comedies. It's just too hard to read subtitles and laugh. And I'm not sure that I'd laugh even if I did understand Spanish or Chinese. The best comedy reflects the dumb things in one's culture. That said, it's not surprising that comedies from England seem like an acquired taste at times.

But sometimes the dividing line, as far as comedic films go, is not by country but by race.

I doubt I could get five black folks in a room that even thought about going to see 40 Year Old Virgin or American Pie. That could be an age thing too, but I doubt it. So it doesn't surprise me that most white folks didn't get a movie like Meet The Browns. It's a church-ified, black, slap-stick comedy with characters I've never seen outside a black church or one of my own family reunions. I've never even seen some of these folks in a dumb television sitcom. So, for white folks going to see Meet The Browns must be like my going to go see Scary Movie when my chicken heart has never allowed me to sit a single horror film all the way through. There's simply no frame of reference.

However, I hope white folks will go see movies like Meet The Browns anyway. Watching movies about people from other races, other cultures, is a way to see how people view themselves. Whether you are watching a comedy, drama, horror, or the news you get to know other peoples quite well.

And since this is how black folks, brown folks and others continue to know white folks better than white folks know absolutely anybody else, white folks need to watch these movies so they can catch up. They might be able to rid their vocabulary of half the "politically correct" and "race card" comments they use when someone tells them they've been hurtful or unintentionally mean-spirited.

Sorry rant over.

But more to the point, whether or not Tyler Perry's movies are objectively good or bad, I love them because he so obviously demonstrates his love for black women in each one. And I really can't tell if they're good or not. They're like black Brady Bunch movies but with 21st century inner city problems. I've relearned to love sappy sweet movies thanks to Mr. Perry.

But the most important reason for loving Meet The Browns, is that I've never seen another movie, television show, or mainstream news article that had one good thing, or one forgiving thing, to say about the black (or any other color) teenage mother that's struggling with the results of her mistakes. Meet the Browns actually shows a positive black no-longer-teenaged mother trying to make sure her children don't take her mistakes blend them with this culture's values (take responsibility for yourself financially no matter what you have to do) and make things much worse.

I hope Mr. Bill Cosby goes to see this movie too. Because while his comments about the poorer of us (blacks) had truth in them, they were obviously said with a frustration and anger--which is understandable. But Cosby's words were also said with a shame that's disgraceful--and needs forgiveness too I suppose. In the end, his comments encouraged wrong-headed, white folks nationwide to continue ignoring a problem that belongs to all of us. We are trying to be one nation not an us-vs-them nation. And Mr. Perry can help Mr. Cosby re-understand this.

Or, are we trying to be separate but equal? Uh...Somebody tell me which one we're doing.

Somebody let me know if this country is back on the separate-but-equal trip because I don't want my black tax dollars to supplement school vouchers that allow people to leave certain public schools behind. Nor do I want my black tax dollars to finance one tax break for the rich or a bail-out of Bear Stearns. And I don't care where they say the money is going to trickle down to or how its going to save the entire economy--except the part that needs the most help. And I do want my black tax dollars to supplement programs for the poor of all colors because I know blacks are so heavily over represented within the ranks of the poor--even while still predominantly white in absolute numbers.*



*The black and brown combined poor are outnumbered by white poor in absolute numbers by nearly two to one. (Actually 1.8 to 1.0 last time I checked) And, this shouldn't be a surprise. White poverty is only 10% (usually) but white people are close to 75% of the total population. Do the math. Blacks are only 12% of the population. All blacks would have to be poor to outnumber the white poor-- as opposed to the one-quarter of blacks that really are poor at any given moment.

.

Click Here To Read Entire Article!

Cutting Off the Oxygen

A.K.A Cutting off the Terrorist’s Money

On the same day that the death toll of our troops has reached 4000 in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reports that the United States is having trouble cutting off terrorist funding partially due to inter-agency fighting and mistrust among coalition members. (Terrorism Money Still Flowing by Josh Meyer. Monday, March 24, 2008)

The inter-agency war in Washington aside, we should take a look at that possible sources of mistrust as that is probably the most influential factor in cutting off the money and thus winning the war on terror and the war in Iraq both, since terrorists have run their in droves to kill our soldier.

Mistrust in coalition members might consist of:

= the misinterpretation of intelligence that was really the enhancing and spinning of intelligence

= the failure to admit fault in any real way for beginning the war in Iraq for unsound reasons

= refusing to explain how some sources of information were ever found credible (before they were spun)


Telling our allies they can go jump in the river if they don’t want to join us in "blasting Iraq back into the stone age" for a second time, probably didn’t do much to make them want to stay by our side for the long haul--even if after the got over the initial slap in the face they got at the United Nations in 2002 and 2003.

The Bush administration’s arrogance has had it’s price---the better part of the four thousand American lives and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives that have been lost in Iraq to be specific.

Click Here To Read Entire Article!

African Americans Refusing Alliances

It saddens me that I am not convincing as a speaker. I envy that talent in Barack Obama and Bill Clinton more than I envy anything else in anyone except maybe the hearts and minds of our black leaders that were murdered so many years ago.

Barack Obama's charging the African American population with "failing to make alliances" started me thinking about terms like "rainbow coalition" of Jesse Jackson fame. It also made me revisit how African Americans and Latinos, specifically Mexican Americans have not only "failed to coalesce" but how we behave as if we actively dislike one another.

Latinos and African Americans competing with one another was a foreign idea to me until I moved to the West Coast. Growing up back East, I had never experienced, nor heard much report of problems with Puerto Ricans. I suppose I assumed that the African American experience of Mexicans would be the same. I don't know that that ever made much sense; the only thing they may have in common is the Spanish language. Yet, I did think that all of us--African Americans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans--had our experience in America in common in that we are treated like outsiders in our own country. I had always thought that the outsider experience should provide more than enough motive to inspire both Mexicans and African Americans work out our differences.

But apparently I was, and still am, wrong.

Long ago, I came to the conclusion that it is psychologically safer for me, as an African American, to assume that most people have racial prejudices. This assumption has served me well while dealing with and combating the ignorance I must deal with fairly regularly from the dominant culture which happens to be "white." But I now recognize that this psychological haven that I have used so often was created to protect myself from reactionary, African American attitudes towards race in the first place.

When I was a teenager, I would refuse to associate with those White, Black, Latino, or Asian who vocalized prejudices against another ethnic group. As I've gotten older, and have become better able to discern the average person's non-vocal racial prejudices, I've come to realize that this isn't a realistic approach.

I have always had friends who happen to be white and white friends, the latter being those who are predominantly unaware of the prejudices that come out of their mouths because they think their prejudices are "true" or they just don't think much period. I appreciate the latter group as the good people they are but our relationships are not and never will be exceptionally close—unless they change.

People who harbor and defend prejudices simply aren’t trustworthy enough to have access to the deepest parts of me. Us vs. Them thinking is a disease of the mind that affects more than just racism and requires effort to be rid of. And I accept that some aren’t willing to do it just as I accept that it’s just barely possible that I don’t make all the effort I should in all areas of my life. Just kidding—mostly.

After reading the book “Racism without Racists” and hearing Obama’s Race Speech, I am wondering if I should separate all my friends in the same way that I separate whites. In other words, for example, I'm wondering if I should separate my African American friends into friends who happen to be black and black friends as well.

I know that most people have their prejudices and I try not to be judgmental about that. Yet, listening to an African American friend imply that Mexicans are stupid over and over again seems like letting someone pour poison in your ear. Even if you dump that ear out regularly there’s bound to be some residual poison left over--that you may or may not be aware of after some time has past.

After one has told "a friend" that their prejudice speech bothers you and that you want them to keep it to themselves, what else should one do if they keep "forgetting" and speaking their hateful truth anyway?

Agreeing to disagree is fine but personally, in keeping such a friendship, I feel compromised after each instance of “forgetting” –especially when I wind up speaking to other friends who happen to be Latino later in the same day.

Yet, ending friendships, even loosely maintained ones, seems contraindicated if one is dedicated to making the alliances Obama spoke about.

In the final analysis, it seems like making the move from "I'm-not-a-racist" or the even more false "I am color blind" to an "anti-racist" stance requires that one reserve the limited seating closest to one's heart for people who are not necessarily prejudice free but always vigilant in their self-awareness. Maybe it is only those who are willing to do whatever hard work it takes to reduce or even eliminate some the prejudices they find within that ought to be called close friends.

Click Here To Read Entire Article!

White Resentment versus White Priviledge

A sociologist, whose name escapes me at the moment, asked what I thought was a rather legitimate question. He asked, "How is the ten percent of the black population that has problems has gotten to be representative of the entire black population?"

I have always wanted to know the same thing. If one in four of us is below the poverty line that means that three out of four of us aren't. So why aren't middle class problems of blacks representative of blackness in this country? Why don't we hear the problems of blacks worth 80 million dollars who'd be worth 100 million dollars if they were white? Why don't we hear the problems of blacks who have two beamers in their driveway instead of the two Bentley's they ought to have like white Brian Johnson down the road--who they themselves trained for the job he currently has, who only wound up being 80% as good as they were in the same job?

Every time I hear the phrase 'African-American problems' the next thing I hear is drug problems, crime problems etc. How IS IT ten percent of our population is representative of all of us?

nd while we may have over-representation in the socioeconomic section of this country labeled "poor", we are only twelve to thirteen percent of the population. If African American working poor ceased to work tomorrow, that would mean 3% of the total population that happens to be black would be poor and on welfare--which would be about half the number of poor whites (no working poor for them either).

It's an easy calculation to follow.

Ten percent of the white population is, on average, is below the poverty line at any given moment in this country. However, whites are approximately 75% of the population. Ten percent of seventy-five percent is 7.5% which is more than double 3% And if a full third of blacks were below the poverty line that 7.5% would still mean that there are close to double the number of poor whites as there are poor blacks. And if ninety-percent of the black population was poor tomorrow, there'd still be less blacks who are poor than there are whites. Why? There simply aren't that many of us.

In other words, in absolute numbers there are twice as many white poor than anyone else. And those whites ought to be mad anytime somebody starts talking about a program to get minorities to be un-poor when there are twice as many of them (that are poor) to worry about.

Sometimes, I think that the scenario above is the full extent of my understanding of white resentment. Other times, I think I can understand how it might feel, on an individual basis, to be white and passed over because someone is in a preferred group for a job. But I can't ever hold onto that particular compassion because the purpose of programs like Affirmative Action is to end the preferred group advantage that comes with being white in the first place.
.

I don't believe that Affirmative Action is completely fair but neither am I naive enough to believe that a large percentage of white people, who refuse to acknowledge racism in themselves, in their friends, and in their neighbors, hire and fire based on merit. Affirmative Action is about dealing with today's racism, not yesterday's.



SSo, I understand and have compassion for white immigrants--for so long as they are poor and struggling. However, I don't have that much understanding for resentment of those whose white parents were immigrants in the past. The children of immigrants know that they their parents worked hard, that they were treated badly, and they think that their parents "weren't handed anything." And maybe their parents weren't handed anything but their children were handed plenty based on their whiteness.

The minute the white immigrant loses things like their accent they became totally accepted in this society. The people that cheated them and called them names, they can't distinguish them from other whites people like themselves--and it is at this point that their hard work starts paying off exactly like it should

But it doesn't work the same way for everyone. Some people's hard work does NOT fully pay off.

The white immigrant's hard work is paid off in their children's wages. Why? Because their foreignness has been erased by time. Again, the white immigrant can't be distinguished after a couple generations has past. By comparison, the African American's physical foreignness will never be erased.

This country can get better on how it views race, but erasing blackness is not possible. Therefore, African Americans will never get to be equal by blending in and by being completely indistinguishable from "other whites"--if that makes sense. And since about half the white population can't seem to acknowledge or understand that sameness and equal-ness are different , I doubt I'll see racism eliminated in my life time.

I know that this sad fact is true because the human condition is what it is. The evidence? We, African Americans, have behaved in the same ways toward the newest set of immigrants as whites have acted toward us as we came out of slavery and when we migrated north out the southern slave states.

The virtual war between Blacks and Latinos on the west coast shames me no end. It is pure foolishness not to see undocumented workers for what they are--America's newest slaves. Corporate America makes sure that they have access to undocumented workers because they are cheap (and desperate) labor.

If an undocumented worker works in unsafe conditions and looses his fingers, he can't complain because he's not here legally and might get kicked out of the country. He can be more careful after he heals up. If his boss decides to walk by and kick him as hard as he can twice a day, he can't complain--because he's not here legally. And the biggest thing the undocumented worker can't complain about is being paid 30% less-- than the job he's doing is reasonably worth in the free market that the republicans claim they worship--because he's here illegally and desperate to earn a living.

Does the presence of this undocumented competition lower wages for working class of every color and ethnicity? Yes it does. Is the undocumented worker the source of these problems? No. Is it the fault of the corporations that hire them at our expense along with a government that protects the corporation's right to take advantage of their desperation? Yes, it is.

Blaming the new immigrant on the block for all problems is as old as time. In most United States history books one can see that the English, who got to call themselves Americans first, denigrated the Irish when they came over and then the Italians etc. And when the Irish and Italians had finally blended in they got to calls themselves both white and American and they joined in the fun of denigrating the next wave of immigrants. African American behavior toward Latinos is not unique but we have less excuse for this bad behavior, human or not.

Why? Because African Americans were slaves. Therefore, we know what it is to be scapegoated for problems we are too few in number to be blamed for. So how can we act like the type of person we resent most--which would be the racist who willfully refuses to self-examine and know he has a racist attitude at times.

African Americans should always be on the side of those left out--even white immigrants who we can pray will resist the urge to one day become one of the arrogant and superior. Statistics show that African Americans care about the poor regardless of race more than most other ethnicities and we need to continue that caring even when "those people" are competing with us for jobs. Why? Because we 'd be doing the same thing if we were in their shoes. In other words, there's this thing called empathy.

Obama is right on this point: We need to form alliances. We need to be as concerned about underrepresentation of Latinos and everyone else in our work places as we are concerned about underrepresentation of our own.

As they used to say in the 60's, we either hang together or we will hang alone

Click Here To Read Entire Article!

Underestimating Obama and the Press

Over the weekend, I got the impression that Obama was going to dump Reverend Wright like so much moldy bread. I believe that the press meant to leave me with that impression but I think I was predisposed to believe that impression because in my mind politician and lower-life form are pretty much synonymous. I expect lying and actions of expediency from all of them except maybe Jimmy Carter.

But Obama did not dump his pastor of 20 years, the man who introduced him to Christianity. The speech he have this morning, had he condensed the first fifteen minutes into two somehow, would have been the best speech on race in 21st century America that I have ever heard or ever will hear. (even though I didn't agree with every single item he said and had a couple of issues with what he left out) Obama even got me thinking about the legitimacy of white resentment again. I hadn't been there in a long time. He got me to think about my own loss of hope for race relations in this country.

He also got me thinking about how blacks are too often portrayed as loving their victim status instead of just so beat down that this is all a small portion of us can think about--for long periods at a time. But the thing I worry about most is that the speech was so long that only portions of it will be played in certain arenas and people will be able to change the tone of the entire message into something else altogether.

Ultimately though, this article is about my being glad to be wrong about Barack Obama. Until today, I was very torn about whether I wanted Hillary Clinton to be president or Barack Obama. I've wanted both, but I've felt for a long time that Hillary Clinton has too much baggage to be anything but divisive once she is president. Hillary Clinton has too many entrenched enemies. Before today, Barack Obama was getting my vote because he seemed the most electable which is almost as hopeless saying I'm voting for the lesser of two evils. Today, I can say I want to vote for Barack Obama because I want to* believe in him.


(*=A politician is a politician baby; I can only get but so rah-rah-sis-boom-bah at this stage in my life.)

Click Here To Read Entire Article!

Wright Anti-American Sentiment

It's wrong to think that oneself right all the time? Most Christians know this. It's also wrong to think ones country right all the time. I wish more white Christians knew this too. While I may disagree with the venue, the timing, and the relish with which Obama's church leader expressed his view that America's actions in other countries has a part in creating the hatred in those countries, I agree that people that hate us aren't simply crazy. However, I absolutely reject that God participates in evil...and what happened to America on 9/11 was evil--no matter what kinds of evil we've visited on other countries in the past.

But the faith issues aside in this discussion about politics, it is unnerving to see that Obama is SUCH a politician. He seems too ready to simply severe his association with the pastor that married him and his wife. It may be naive, but it seems to logical to suppose that a people that experiences less freedom and less equality than others in this great but often faltering country might see the negatives of this country a little more frequently and therefore a little more clearly. Consequently, not only are Reverend Wright's comments worth discussing, they're source are worth examining.

Obama's wife, expressed a sentiment that was labeled "anti-American" too. I believe she expressed positive shock that this country could elect a black man by saying something like "this is the first time in a long time I've been proud of this country." This is something else worth discussion because her level of shock is an experience common to many of the African Americans I know.

Click Here To Read Entire Article!